Words That We Couldn't Say
by Bramblerose4
Summary: After receiving an important call, Noah takes time off from college to come home. It would be the first time the boys have seen each other in person in a year. Guilt and UST led to an awkward and charged reunion. Noex centric with background Holix.
1. Prologue

**Words That We Couldn't Say**

**A big heartfelt thank you goes out to jessica499499 aka Lacy Fairgold and neveria yan for their continual support and excellent feedback for this story. You two are the greatest!**

**Prologue**

Noah knew it was a bad idea coming here, but damn was it hard to remember that while he was balls deep inside his best friend. Once he received the text with hotel address and room number, his libido took over. With a shouted excuse to his parents, Noah jumped into his Jeep and did all he could to not speed to the hotel.

There was a moment, while he was in the elevator, that he tried to think things through without lust getting in the way of his brain. It was his last night in town. Tomorrow he would be on his way to Boston where he would officially start his college experience.

Tonight, though, tonight he was going to make sure he made lasting memories with Rex as his summer ended, and with it, their arrangement. Perhaps they should end their summer fling with minimal making out and spend the rest of the time trying to relearn what it meant to be only friends. To not give in to every urge to kiss or to see the same with unbridled want in Rex's eyes until Noah dragged him into the nearest bedroom. But then he was standing in front of the hotel room door and before he could knock Rex yanked open the door, grabbed Noah's jacket by the lapel and greeted him with a kiss before pulling him into the room where all thoughts of ending this wonderful and hot thing between early in the evening were banished from his mind.

_We are so good at this_, Noah thought as Rex bucked underneath him, causing a groan of pleasure to escape from Noah's lips. Pleased by the sound, Rex repeated the move, causing Noah to bit down on Rex's shoulder, his teeth grazing over Rex's sweaty skin. Noah quickly replaced his teeth with his lips, kissing Rex's shoulders and neck in time with his thrusts. He could feel the gooseflesh bloom over Rex's body and chuckled knowing their appearance wasn't due to the drop in temperature, but from a spike of pleasure coursing through Rex. Noah increased his pace and pressed his forehead on Rex's shoulder in order to focus on bringing them over the edge at the same time. Rex's eyes snapped closed and he choked out a groan.

"Yes. So good. So close. Don't stop," Rex moaned, and gripped Noah's side in encouragement.

"Fuck," Noah grunted as Rex dug his fingers into his hip, his nails digging and leaving half moons. Leaning back, he obeyed Rex's command and didn't stop, going to far as to speed up even more; his hips slamming into Rex's backside.

"Right there. Right there. Oh, God," Rex dawdled his hand pumping furiously over his cock. Noah continued his onslaught. It wouldn't be long now. The orgasms they had been building were quickly reaching their climax.

Noah felt as well as saw the moment Rex came. The walls of Rex's insides squeezed tight around Noah's cock, pushing his own release over the edge. Noah grunted and moaned as wave after wave of his orgasm crashed over him. He wasn't even aware he had closed his eyes until he opened them to the sight of Rex gazing up at him with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh man, that was incredible. I don't think I could move even if I wanted to. I can't feel my legs," Rex breathed, laying back on the bed. "We are so good at this."

Noah smiled as Rex unknowingly echoed of his earlier thoughts. "Your leg is very much there," Noah teased. He ran a hand up Rex's leg towards his inner thigh and was delighted when Rex's muscle jumped under his touch. "And it seems you can feel it." He chuckled when Rex grabbed his wrist and tried to tug him closer.

"Come here," Rex commanded in a low growl.

"Wait. Let me take care of this first," Noah said, gesturing down the condom still wrapped around his spent cock. Rex released him, but only after Noah promised to not go far. Turning his back to Rex, Noah expertly pulled off the condom and tied it off. The idea of the cleaning crew finding the used condom made him pause and pluck a few tissues from the box on the nightstand. He carefully wrapped the tissues around the condom before lightly tossing it into the wastebasket on the side of the desk. Getting to his feet, he stretched and then made a rude hand gesture as Rex whistled at him as he bent over to grab two bottles of water from the mini-fridge.

"Well, I'm trying, but somebody is taking their sweet time getting their ass over here," Rex remarked snarkily, easily catching the bottle Noah threw at him. "We gotta make the most out of our last night."

Although Rex spoke in a light matter of fact tone, an unspoken bitterness had crept in, sucking out all the good vibes which usually filled them after sex.

"I'll be right back," Noah said and slipped into the hotel's complimentary bathrobe.

"I'll be waiting," Rex called after him.

Noah padded over to the bathroom. After using the toilet, he grabbed a washcloth and got it damp with warm water for Rex before returning to the bedroom. He smirked at the sight before him.

Rex was still laying on his back, completely nude just as Noah had left him, only now, his eyes were closed and his breathing was even.

Giving in to his impulse, tossed the washcloth on the foot of the bed and sink to his knees on the side. Resting his elbow on the mattress near Rex's head Noah gently wove his fingers thru Rex's hair, enjoying the soft hairs brushing against his skin. Rex hummed in his sleep and his head tilted into Noah's hand. Noah looked down and saw Rex staring up at him, a satisfied grin on his lips.

"You fell asleep before I could wash you."

"I'm not asleep now." Rex pointed out.

Noah chuckled and reached out for the washcloth. It was Noah's turn to have his hair played with as took care of Rex. Taking long, light strokes, Noah cleaned the semen off of Rex's chest and stomach. "Stop distracting me," Noah ordered when Rex's hand moved from his hair to his neck to his back.

"I think I'm clean enough. Besides, I'm only gonna get dirty again." Rex said, tugging at Noah's bathrobe.

Noah undid the robe's belt, letting the robe fall to the floor as he crawled back into bed. Rex's arm came over him and pinned Noah next to him. "So you don't get away," Rex mumbled and put an end to any more talking by pressing his lips to Noah's. Noah felt the hunger growing in Rex as his touches went from slow and lazy to harder and insistent and soon they were both panting and moving against each other.

They made love several times that night. It was as if they were trying to imprint themselves on each other. They didn't talk, choosing instead to let their cries and pleas to say everything they couldn't bring themselves to speak.

Afterward, when Rex fell asleep and stayed asleep, even with Noah's fingers in his hair Noah watched his friend and tried to memorize as much of this moment as he could.

All too soon he would be leaving this place. He would head back home where he would have breakfast with his parents and listen to their last-minute advice before they all piled into his mom's mini-van and drive up to the airport.

When Noah was sure Rex wasn't going to wake up, he leaned down to kiss the side of Rex's head and whispered, "I've loved this," in a voice so quiet he wasn't sure if he'd actually said it out loud.

After one last kiss to the temple, Noah got up and gathered his things; his heart tearing with each moment. The temptation to stay with Rex and try to turn this thing they had going on into a relationship was strong. But they had a deal. Once summer was over, their time as lovers was over, too. It seemed like a fun, easy idea at the beginning. And boy, did they have fun. Noah wouldn't have wanted to spend his summer vacation any other way. Now it wasn't so easy, at least on his part. Noah didn't want to admit how hard it was to say goodbye.

But the end was here, there was no denying that, though he couldn't stop the thoughts of something more happening between them from creeping into his head. He knew it wasn't an option. In all their time together since the arrangement was made, Rex never once mentioned anything about taking it further. Which meant he probably didn't want to take things any further. Which was why they had done everything they could to make tonight as meaningful as their first time together. Except instead of clumsy hands fumbling in the dark, they each knew the other's turn-ons and could make each other sing with so much passion for hours on end.

Despite that, there was no way this arrangement could continue. Noah was leaving. And Rex...Rex was going to remain here and do what he does best, protect the world from danger. And that was fine. That was how it should be. Rex had accepted that and now it was Noah's turn to come to terms with it as well.

Picking up the discarded bathrobe, Noah held it in his hands for a brief moment before folding it over the desk chair. Grabbing his jacket, he headed for the door, determined not to look back. His hand was on the door latch when he heard it. A voice, soft and deep with sleep, but clear.

"Stay."

Noah tensed. Helpless against the sound of Rex's voice, he turned around and tried not to grimace. Rex was sitting up in bed, his gaze imploring Noah to give in and come back to him.

Noah took a step back to keep himself from moving forward. "Rex-"

"Please, don't go, Noah. Stay." Rex pleaded and removed the bed covers so he could get up.

Noah held out his hand and shook his head. "I can't. I have to get home before my parents wake up."

"That's not what I mean," Rex said in a huff. "Don't go to Boston. Stay here. With me. I want to be with you. Officially."

Noah was stunned. Rex was ruining the deal by trying to change it without any clue that he wanted it changed in the first place. Why had Rex waited until the last possible moment to mention how he wanted to be more than just friends? Than just bedmates? Why couldn't he just let Noah leave? It was bad enough that he was sneaking off without saying goodbye, now Rex was making it so Noah had to be the one to say no and be the bad guy.

The incredulity of it made Noah angry, and luckily, anger would help him do what needed to be done.

"We had fun, Rex. It was great. It was a blast. But that's all it was. All it could ever be. Us being a thing, being more? Is impossible. So let's just move on, okay?"

Rex's mouth hung open and his eyes grew wide like he had been slapped. Noah couldn't bear to wait for him to gather his wits and respond.

"I'll text you when I land," Noah said quickly. Hating himself more than he ever thought possible, Noah opened the door and walked through brokenhearted, but looking forward to his college life, knowing walking out of that room was the worst time of his life.

* * *

I've been working on this story, off and on, for years anf finally decided I ought to start posting it. Thank you for taking the time to read it and I hope you look forward to the rest.

Bramblerose4


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Should I_ _get a nutty chocolate bar or go for the bag of chips?_ Noah stared through the fingerprint-smeared glass of the vending machine, mulling over his choices for dinner as he waited for his clothes to dry. It was Tuesday, which meant it was laundry day since it was the only break in his busy schedule he had to deal with small matters like buying food and cleaning his clothes. Tomorrow, he would return to the mayhem of college courses and his part-time job at the campus bookstore. But before his time and patience were consumed by college life he was going to eat some junk food and watch funny videos on his phone while he waited for the final spin cycle to finish.

He was in the middle of deciding when his phone went off. Mindlessly digging it out of his pocket, Noah checked the caller ID. It was a blocked caller. Noah smiled. There was only ever one person who called him using a blocked number. "Hey stranger," he answered with mock irritation. "I was beginning to think you didn't like me anymore."

"Hey, kiddo."

Noah flushed at the unexpected voice. "Oh, hello, Bo."

"Now y'ain't gotta sound so disappointed," Bobo admonished.

"Right, sorry. How's my favorite talking ape?"

"Is there any way you can stop by for a few days?"

All thoughts of junk food evaporated at Bobo's somber, out-of-the-blue question. Those were the worst kinds of questions. They tended to mean unpleasantness was in Noah's near future. He swallowed down his panic and squashed any assumptions before his mind went into hyperdrive about why Bobo wanted him home. "You need some backup with a prank?" He asked, trying to predict the reason for the call and settle his nerves.

"Not this time, Blondie."

Fear trickled into his body. The spot on Noah's back, between his shoulder blades, tingled in warning, though he desperately hoped he was overreacting. "Is Rex okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, the chief's fine. As much as you'd expect, anyway," the EVO trailed off, clearly just as unhappy to tell him whatever it was he needed to say as much a Noah was dreading in hearing it.

"What's happened? Bobo, you have to tell me. Is everything okay?" He knew he sounded near frantic by the way he was drawing attention from the other students nearby. No longer feeling hungry, Noah turned away from the vending machine and stepped outside the laundry mat. He needed some semblance of privacy in order to continue this conversation. He needed a safe space to freak out if the reason for the call was bad, and while being just outside the laundry-mat wasn't ideal, it was the best he was going to get on such short notice.

"It's Agent Six."

Noah stiffened. Never had he heard Bobo call the formidable man as Agent Six. It was usually 'Boss Man' or 'Mister Serious.' If he was using his issued name then something was really, really wrong. It took all of Noah's mental strength not to allow fear to trickle into his body. "What's happened?" he repeated.

"There was an accident."

"Christ," Noah cursed. "Is he going to be okay?"

"That's the thing, Kiddo. He's a bit touch 'n' go at the moment. There's really no telling what will happen."

Grief rolled over Noah. He sighed heavily in an attempt to lessen the shock of the news. His stomach cramped as if had been punched in the gut and then had a wet blanket thrown over him after he fell to the ground. He leaned against the gritty cement wall of the laundry mat for support as he tried to catch his breath. There were tears in his eyes before he was aware of them.

He wasn't ready to ask how it happened. And Bobo didn't seem too eager to go into details about it either. The accident must have been bad. Noah rubbed a hand over his face and found the courage to ask a less dangerous question. "When-when did it happen?"

"Earlier this morning."

Noah's jaw worked but no words came out. He was speechless. Six had been hospitalized over 12 hours ago and he was just now hearing about it? From Bobo? He didn't hold anything against Bobo, and he knew he shouldn't hold it against Rex, but that didn't make the barb of betrayal feel any less sharp. Though they hadn't been speaking as much anymore, he still considered Rex his closest friend. It should have been Rex calling. So, why wasn't it?

An image of Rex on his back, sweating and calling out for Noah came to him unbidden, answering his question. Noah quickly suppressed the memory. The last thing he needed was to react to old canal thoughts of his friend after hearing such awful news.

He knew there were two ways to deal with it; he could get upset at being kept in the dark for so long or he could be understanding. He straightened up, wiped a hand across his face and put his feelings aside. At least, for now.

"How's everyone doing?"

It was Bobo's turn to sigh into the phone. "Honestly? It's like a zombie wasteland over here. _Everyone's_ freaked."

Noah heard an odd emphasis on 'everyone' and thought Bobo may be trying to explain and perhaps apologize on Rex's behalf. Noah didn't know how to reply to that, so he ignored it. "How are you?"

"Ah, that's sweet of ya to ask, Blondie," was all he said.

Noah guessed he wasn't doing well if he was dodging the question. He didn't press him on that, either. After all, Bobo was one of those who was also in shock.

"Thank you for telling me, Bo. I know that wasn't easy."

"I-er- I didn't call you just for that," Bobo admitted. "See, I was hopin' you'd swing down for the chief. Though I don't know why I know there's been tension between you two since you left for school. But he needs you. Right now, Noah. Is there any chance you could head back? Just for a few days. I'll even book the flight and arrange for transportation."

"Wow, um, that's pretty generous," Noah said, his face flaming up at the mention of the messy past between him and Rex. "Uh, I know I need to go, and I want to, but I gotta check in with my professors before I can leave. I'll be missing some pretty important classes this week. I gotta see if I would be able to make them up first before I can agree to anything. And that's not counting my supervisor at work."

"About that..." Bobo trailed off. There was a pregnant pause on the other side of the phone stretching for several moments before something clicked inside him.

Noah could feel a headache forming in his eyes. "They already know." It wasn't a question.

"I may have made a few calls before rinign' ya."

"Cheeky monkey," Noah couldn't suppress his smile.

"Yeah, well, I was hedging mah bets."

"I'm guessing they agreed to all your terms."

"You know it."

"And those happen to be?"

"You got seven days. And you'll be able to make everything up. The bookstore was harder to make happen. They said I had to find someone to cover for you."

Noah nodded. "Yeah, that's standard policy."

"You're telling me. The woman at the store said she could possibly get someone called Matthew is going to cover your shifts at the store."

"Nice work."

"Thanks. So you're coming down?"

"Yeah."

"That's great."

The relief he heard in Bobo's voice made Noah's heart hurt. It was clear he didn't need to go back just for Rex's sake.

"So, when am I leaving?"

Bobo promised to text him the details of his travel arrangements once they had been made.

"Bo?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks again for calling."

"Sure, kiddo. See ya soon." With that, Bobo hung up.

Though he figured this was too serious for Bobo to make it up, Noah planned to contact his professors, just to make sure everything was squared away. He was surprised to see that he had received several emails while on the phone. They each were from college addresses. One of them was from the Dean, confirming his approved leave of absence. Noah stared at the phone until it darkened before heading back inside. Although he really hoped he wouldn't need it, already he was mentally packing everything that he might need for a long week.

But first, he had laundry to finish.

* * *

I am hoping to post two chapters a week for the next two months for twenty chapters total. Whoo, we'll see how that goes.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Noah wasn't impressed. Bobo hadn't come through in the way he had suggested during their phone call. Noah had been expecting to be expedited towards a military hangar where a Providence transport would be waiting for him. Instead, he received an economy ticket on whatever airline chain had the next departure time. At least it wasn't a middle seat, he mused once he located his window seat. Once he settled in he tried to stay positive, keeping in mind the likelihood of seeing Rex on a commercial flight was much lower than it would have been if Bobo had booked him a Providence airship. Noah plopped into his seat and took a deep breath, fighting off his relief of not having to face Rex so soon. He was eager to see his old friend, but it came with some heavy baggage he wasn't fully prepared to unpack yet.

Determined to use the long flight as a way to study, Noah couldn't focus. He had been planning on using the long flight to study, but every time he opened one of his textbooks he found his mind wandering about what would greet him once he landed. Eventually, he gave up and decided to watch an in-flight movie until landing. At least that was the plan until the overhead speakers piped on and the captain informed everyone that due to the thunderstorm being stronger than expected they would have to land at a different airport 200 miles away.

By the time the plane landed and Noah was able to get a hold of Bobo Haha it was the dead of night.

"How's Six doing?" Noah asked, waiting for the conveyer belt in baggage claim to start moving. He hoped that Bobo would dismiss any tones of annoyance. He was tired and irritated that he wouldn't make it to Providence HQ until very late.

"He's hanging in there. The surgery was successful."

"Oh that's good," Noah breathed, suppressing a shudder at the idea of surgery.

"Yeah, the docs are confident they were able to clear him of any internal bleeding. And the damage to his lungs wasn't as bad as they feared. It's all about giving him the best environment for his body to recover and heal."

Noah perked up at the odd statement. It suggested that Bobo was quoting one of the surgeons and if that was the opinion of the professionals then things were probably better than he feared.

After grabbing his suitcase Noah made his way to the taxi line to wait for the next available car. He wasn't looking forward to a long, cramped, expensive car ride in the middle of the night.

"I can't believe I still gotta travel five hours until I'm there."

In response to his prickling tone, Bobo mirrored Noah's exasperation. "Maybe you oughta go home for the night, you know, wash off the stinky attitude before heading over here. There's enough negativity around here, we ain't looking to buy more. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, yeah," he agreed. "Sorry. I'm sorry. It's just I hate it when things don't run smoothly," Noah apologized.

"Apology accepted."

"Um, now that Six is stable how's- " Noah paused, uncertain if he had the right to ask after Rex right now.

"The chief is as good as you'd expect."

"So not very."

"Exactly."

"Are you sure I shouldn't stop by tonight?"

"See ya tomorrow kiddo," Bobo stated briskly, brokering no argument by hanging up.

"Yep." Noah sighed deeply. He was too tired to argue against Bobo's dismissal. Dragging his suitcase to the back of a taxi he had finally flagged down, Noah hoped the pressure behind his eyes would wait until he got home before turning into a full-blown headache. Unfortunately, he doubted it.

It was weird being in his old room after all the little touches he added all his life were either back in Boston or packed away. It was like a being in a blank canvas where he was a guest instead of it being his home. It was clear at some point he had tried to turn it into a gym, which was probably quickly abandoned judging by the number of clothes hanging off the elliptical handles.

He had a hard time sleeping. He kept drifting off only to wake up a few moments later, gasping for air and often needed a minute to remember where he was.

Though the walls were familiar, this wasn't his room anymore and he wasn't sure how to feel about the whole thing. His entire situation was ridiculous.

By four o'clock, Noah abandoned any idea of sleep and rolled out of bed, changing out of his sleep pants and into a pair of deep green basketball shorts, and a hoodie he'd purchased at the college school store once the weather changed. He grabbed his running shoes but refrained from putting them on until he was outside. He didn't want to disturb his hard-working parents with his inability to quiet his tumultuous thoughts.

Despite the warmth from the extra layer, Noah sucked in a breath at the sharp cold air that rushed over him when he stepped out to the porch. Sitting on the top step he quickly tied his shoes. The sooner he got running the sooner he'd warm up.

Noah put his wireless headphones in and started his favorite running playlist, then decided to take one of the earbuds out so he could keep one ear free to hear any oncoming traffic, or as unlikely as it was this early in the morning, another runner. After doing minimal stretching, he jogged down the driveway. Except for the porch lights, the neighborhood was pretty dark out, but the streets were as familiar to Noah at night as it was during the day, he knew his way around.

He set a slow pace at first, testing out the fitness of his body. The last thing he needed was to injure himself. He was pleased by his legs responding to his need to run. Taking the path from his house to his old high school Noah felt his mind wander, focusing on the best of the music and controlling his breathing.

Benjamin Franklin High School was only 3 miles away, so it didn't take him long to run there, though he wasn't nearly as fast as he was when he had been conditioning for basketball and he was winded when he reached the school parking lot. Hand braced on his knees Noah fought to catch his breath. He had been lost in thought and hadn't realized how hard he was pushing himself. When he placed two fingers on the side of his neck he found his pulse drumming faster than he expected. He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled heavily. He thought the run would help relax him, not cause him more problems.

Once his breathing was milder, he started back home, only this time keeping a slower, manageable pace.

Fishing out his house key he unlocked the front door and went straight into the kitchen and drank two full glasses of water before lightly stomping up the stairs to take a shower.

Noah took his time, letting the hot water pound his back and shoulders. He tried not to think of anything; not his school work, or his job or the emotional rollercoaster he was sure to be on in the coming days. Instead, he focused on small things. What should he eat for breakfast? Which show to watch while he ate? Should he purchase flowers or a get well card? What would he say to Rex when he saw him? Would Rex be happy to see him?

"Gah," Noah shook his head, trying to dispell those last thoughts. _Stick to simple things_, Noah chastised himself. Turning off the water and stepping out of the shower. He didn't bother wiping the fogged mirror, he just grabbed a towel and lightly dried himself off before wrapping it around his waist.

The sky was growing lighter when he reached his room and Noah was surprised to feel a yawn stretching out his jaw. _Perhaps the late night jog had helped, after all,_ he thought before falling asleep only wearing a towel.

* * *

Soooooo on Feb 8th, I went to the ER for shortness of breath and chest pains. It turns out I have blood clots in my legs, lungs, and heart. I was hospitalized for 12 days and so was unable to work on and update this story. I am sorry about that. I am doing well now and hope to get back on track. Please bear with me as I recover and work to get back to the schedule I had planned for this story. Though tonight I won't be posting two chapters, just the one.

Thank you for sticking with this and know that I love each and every one of you readers!

BR4


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Noah woke a few hours later. Blinking the sunlight filtering through the window binds he turned over with the intention of staying in bed for a few more hours, but the smell of coffee worked its Pavlovian response on him and he tossed his blankets to the side. He let out a great big yawn and he stood and stretched. He changed into a new pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt and dashed downstairs, his stomach rumbling with hunger and anticipation of a delicious home-cooked meal.

"Ah, there you are," Horace Nixon said in way of greeting.

"Hi, dad," Noah replied still a little groggy. He sat on one of the stools that circled the kitchen bar counter. It was a familiar move, he'd sat there counts times doing homework. "Thanks," he said gratefully as Horace pushed a fresh mug of coffee in Noah's direction.

"I hope I remembered how you took it. Not a lot of cream or sugar," Horace said with amusement like he couldn't believe Noah would enjoy the coffee part of his coffee.

Noah cupped the mug in his palms and inhaled deeply, the rich, earthy aroma of the dark roast was a balm to his sleepiness. "Trust me after seeing how much sugary crap goes into the stuff I make at work this is the only way I can drink it. I actually want coffee in my coffee."

"I see your point," his dad said with a nod. "What are you in the mood for? Oatmeal? Eggs?..."

"Waffles."

"Waffles," Noah said at the same time as his mother. Nora Nixon walked into the kitchen smiled at her son as she moved towards her husband and stole a sip of coffee from his mug.

"Um, perfect, as always," she cooed, taking another, longer sip.

"I try," Horace said as his reached for a new mug. When he passed Nora they shared a quick kiss and embraced.

Noah watched the easiness between his parents but then looked away as he felt a stab of jealousy and warmth in the pit of his stomach. He was happy to see just how in love his parents were after twenty years of marriage and envious of how uncomplicated their lives seemed to be. Feeling disgusted at himself for the unpleasant thoughts he got up from his stool and left his parents to their own devices. He slid open the patio door and went about his old chore routine. He started by watering the vegetable garden before it got too warm out before switching to a watering can to take care of the plants dotted around the house.

Just as the watering-can emptied he heard his mother calling him back into the kitchen. Noah's mouth watered at the smell of sausage and he quickly washed his hands so he could dig into his breakfast.

"What time are you heading to the hospital?" His father asked.

"Don't know," Noah shrugged. "I'm waiting for HQ to give me the all clear. My IDs were deactivated when I left, so I don't have access to the building," Noah explained through a mouthful of perfect syrupy waffles. "I could get a call in a minute or in a few hours. Depends on who's available to process the paperwork."

"Rex can't get you in any sooner? I imagine he's eager to have his best friend by his side and would pull some strings to make that happen."

Noah swallowed thickly. He wasn't so sure about that. "Um, no. I haven't... we haven't spoken in the last few months. He doesn't exactly know that I'm here," Noah finished slowly, bracing for his parents' reaction.

There was a long beat of silence where Nora and Horace exchanged a look that Noah could read as surprise or disappointment. He wasn't sure which was worse. "Well, that is unexpected," Nora said delicately. "Rex was just telling us he was looking forward to spending time with you the next time you came home. He made it sound like you two had plans."

"Rex said that?"

"Well, his exact words were 'I can't wait to hang out with Noah again,' if that helps."

To Noah, it sounded like Rex was making a wish that they would see each other soon instead of having any definitive plans. "Uh, when did he say this?"

"Oh, uh, when was that, honey?" Nora asked focusing on cutting through her stack of waffles.

"Saturday night," Horace answered easily. "I made a pot roast."

"Oo, that's right. It was delicious."

"Saturday? You guys saw Rex on Saturday? You ate pot roast with Rex on Saturday?" Noah said, his volume increasing with incredulity.

"By George, I think he's got it," Nora said jokingly. Her smile fading as she looked up and saw the expression on her son's face. "You didn't know."

"No, I didn't know. How could I when he and I aren't even talking?"

"I get you're upset but watch your tone with your mother," his father interjected. Though there was a sternness in his warning there was also the warmth of understanding that Noah wasn't trying to be disrespectful.

Noah tamped down on his reply until he was sure he wouldn't say anything impertinent. His father was right, Noah was upset but it wasn't his mother's fault. When it came to Rex, Noah only had himself to blame. "I'm sorry, mom."

"Apology accepted," Nora replied, reaching over to her son and rubbing a hand over his back. "If I had known you didn't know about Rex and Caesar's visits I would have mentioned it a long time ago."

Noah's shoulders tightened as he fumed at the casual way his mother had added Caesar. Like it was no big deal. It shouldn't be a big deal. Noah hated that it felt like a big deal. Luckily, he was able to keep those thoughts to himself as he watched his mother's expression soften as she recalled the first time the Salazar brothers were in her home. It was a few Christmases ago. Noah had invited them to dinner. There has been tension between Rex and his older brother at the time. The evening had ended on a great note with Rex and Caesar agreeing to let the expectations of their past, something Rex currently couldn't remember, go and get to know each other as they the young men there were.

"They have been a great comfort to us," his mother continued. "It helps with the 'empty nest' syndrome we both get from time to time."

Noah heard the unspoken message to make the effort to contact his parents more often than he currently was, or wasn't as the case may be.

"How often?"

"How often, what?"

"How often do they come over?"

"Oh, uh, about once every ten or so days," his mom said, looking up as she did the mental math. "Though lately, it's been a lot longer than that."

"And sometimes they don't show up for weeks at a time," Horace added.

"That's true," Nora confirmed. "In fact, we were expecting Rex and Caesar to stop by last night, but you know, with Mr. Six's accident, we've had to reschedule."

"So you've spoken to Rex?"

"Why, yes," Nora confirmed, reaching for her coffee.

"You mother has made it her mission to involve them in family outings."

"What can I say? It's nice to have a teenager in the house to eat up all the food and watch TV at high intervals. You know, he's gotten your father into Spanish soaps. They often watch them together after dinner until it was time for Rex to head back to HQ."

Noah was stunned by the news. This was the first time he was hearing about how much time Rex had been staying at the house. His house. He felt anger flash through him. Why didn't they tell him about the visits before now? And how come Rex hadn't brought it up during their handful of phone conversations? He refused to believe it could have been a hard thing to mention. The answer, of course, was that their friendship was still recovering from their summer of love.

"Does he know I'm here?"

Nora frowned at the question. "How should I know?"

"Did you tell him I was home?" Noah rephrased.

"No," Horace interjected. "Rex called to apologize to us for not being able to stop by. He didn't stay on the line long enough for us to ask why. We assumed it was work-related, because most of the time, it is. We didn't know about Six until Bobo called us to let us know you would be coming home for a bit."

Though there weren't as many EVO attacks as there once had been there was still plenty of situations where Rex and Providence had to intervene. Noah imagined most of Rex's time was spent zooming all over the world getting to the locations where he was needed most.

Everyone jumped a little at the sound of Noah's phone going off. They all shared a nervous laugh as Noah dug into his shorts pocket for his phone. Thinking it was Bobo or even Rex, Noah didn't bother to check the caller ID so he was surprised to hear the swearing that came blasting over the line. It was Sebastian, Noah's closest friend from college. He swore. A lot. It was one of the things Noah liked about him. Noah excused himself from the table and hurriedly stepped out onto the patio to take the call.

"Bash?"

"Are you okay? Did you get home alright?" Sebastian asked, his deep voice full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm home."

"That's great, sweetie. Now, do you feel like you could let me know what the fuck is going on? I'd like to think I'm owed a bit more explanation than. 'Heading home. Don't worry. Be back soon.' Which you gotta admit is a pretty shitty text message. "

"What? I only had a few minutes to think of something."

"Yeah? Well, it's a good thing you're not minoring in English, oh wait, you are!" Sebastian snapped.

"Bash, you know I'm not a major like you, so you really can't blame me."

"And yet, here I am, blaming you."

Noah sighed but gave in and told Sebastian a little more detail about why he had to come home for a few days. He didn't mention Rex, but that didn't stop Sebastian from figuring out that Rex had something to do with it.

"Do you want me to come out there? I could be your moral support."

"Yeah, sure, Bash," Noah scoffed. "You just wanna meet Rex."

When Sebastian didn't even attempt to deny it, Noah laughed.

"Well, why not? Maybe you ought to try to see things from my very slim angle. You've been so secretive about this infamous mystery man of yours."

"Bash-" Noah tried to interrupt, but Sebastian just continued.

"-How could I not want to get up close and personal?"

_Yeah, that's not happening any time soon_, Noah thought with a grimace. He needed to get back on regular speaking terms with Rex first before he could even begin to think about introducing his friends to his... to Rex.

He thanked Sebastian for calling and checking in on him and that he'll call him later with an update. They hang up and Noah went back inside. The kitchen was empty, his parents having eaten their breakfast and cleaned up after themselves. He could hear them walking around upstairs as they continued with their day.

Someone had covered his breakfast with plastic wrap to keep his food sorta warm. Even though he didn't have much of an appetite anymore he didn't want to waste the food, especially after having requested it. He placed the plate into the microwave and refreshed his coffee while his waffles reheated, thinking about how he was going to deal with his return to Providence. It was going to be complicated because just thinking about it made him feel a torrent of sadness, worry, and giddiness at going back to HQ. He pulled out his phone, checking it for messages and finding none. The microwave beeped at him and wincing at how hot the plate had become Noah walked into the living room to watch TV while he ate.

Sure enough, there were four episodes of _El Amor De La Pasion El Amor_ on the DVR with the lastest two not having been watched yet. It was true. Rex visits my parents on a semi-regular basis. He figured his parents weren't making it up when they mentioned it, but hearing about it and seeing proof of it was... shocking? Upsetting. Suddenly the waffles didn't taste as good anymore. Maybe it was due to Noah's sour mood or more likely it was because they were in the microwave too long and were now rubbery. Either way, Noah pushed his plate away from him on the coffee table.

Deciding there was no way to save his waffles Noah goes back into the kitchen and scrapped the soggy mess into the trash can before rising the worst of the sticky sweet syrup off the plate and placing it into the dishwasher to be washed later. He wondered if Rex had done the same thing during one of his visits. Rex had recently been in his house. He had eaten one of his dad's home cooked meals and sharing quality time with his parents while Noah was on the other side of the country heating up a hot pocket for dinner with only his perpetually growing pile of school work for companionship.

Bitter and upset, that's how Noah felt. Bitter that Rex got to spend time here and upset that his parents got to see Rex more times than Noah got to. He sat on his favorite stool and took a moment to feel sorry for himself. It was a long moment. But eventually, he thought of why he was even home and that put things back into perspective for him. So what if Rex and Caesar stopped by? Knowing the Salazar brothers and his parents stayed in touch was a good thing. A great thing. Noah should be glad they got along. Noah _was_ glad someone was there for Rex. He actually was, despite the jealousy of that person not being him.

Which brought up the question if he was the right person to be there for Rex. Bobo and his mother seemed to think so. Noah was that person for Rex once. But he was pretty sure he had burned down that bridge on that last night when he walked out. He told himself over and over again that he was only holding up his side of the deal they made. That didn't stop Noah from wanting to be that person still. Only time and Rex would show him if he would ever be that person again.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Noah spent a lot of time finding the right outfit. He was going for something that looked respectable of Six's condition, but also made him appear desirable to Rex without making it look like he tried too hard. He finally settled on a pair of black jeans, a white short-sleeved buttoned shirt with small black stars printed on it and the fitted dark blue jacket Bash got him to up his sad wardrobe. Pairing that with his favorite running shoes, not the ones he'd worn earlier, but an older pair that had been left in his closet, Noah thought he had nailed the causal, but respectable look. Satisfied with his choice he took the outfit off and went into the laundry room to quickly steams them to get out any wrinkles from their time in his suitcase. Next, he tried to fill the time with studying. He was able to work for almost an hour, making some progress with his schoolwork until he felt drowsy enough to catch a quick nap. He double-checked his phone to make sure the ringer was on before plugging it in to charge.

He is awoken by the blaring tone of rock music a few hours later.

"Yeah?"

"Afternoon, Sleeping Beauty, you ready to leave the tower?"

"Bobo?"

"Yeah, unless there's someone else who'll call you a princess."

Noah laughed. He was still a little tired but hearing Bobo's drole teasing help break through the easy trap of laying back down for a long nap. "No, no. What's up?"

"Now that you are, your new credentials have been approved. You officially have permission to visit HQ."

"Awesome, thanks Bobo," Noah said trying to suppress a yawn.

"Don't thank me yet. I got transport on the way. They ought to be there in ten minutes."

"Shit! I gotta go."

Bobo's nefarious chuckle told Noah that he was hoping Noah would react a certain way. "See ya soon, blondie."

Noah ran into the bathroom to empty his bladder and washed his face when he saw the sleep marks on the left side of his face when he washed his hands. Rubbing at his cheek he hoped they would disappear as he raced to put on his prepared outfit. After pulling on the jacket he felt like he was overdressed, but just as he was rethinking his choices the doorbell chimed throughout the house.

A moment later his father's voice hollered up to him. "Noah! Your ride is here!"

"Coming!" Noah yelled back. "Screw it," he murmured and kept the jacket on.

Noah headed downstairs where he spotted his dad standing in the living with a person dressed in the white and black uniform of a Providence Agent. Horace noticed Noah on the stairway and smiled broadly at him.

"Noah. There you are."

The Providence Agent turned as he followed Horace's line of sight. She was medium height and her long brown hair was braided and wrapped around the top of her head in a bun. Noah smiled with relief.

"Beverly!" He went up to her but stopped before he entered her personal space. She hadn't lowered her hands from behind her back as she looked him over.

"Mr. Nixon," Beverly said nodding once at him. Her tone mirroring her stiff and professional posture.

"Uh, Agent Holiday," he said returning the cool greeting. Confusion at her treatment made him hesitant to approach her. "Um, it's good to see you. How have you been?"

"Busy." She said curtly. She frowned at him and Noah had the strongest urge to apologize to her the longer she stared at him.

"Bev..." Noah winced.

Suddenly her face broke out into a smile and she was laughing. "Oh, you should see your face. You look like I just kicked your puppy." She managed to say between giggles.

"I do not. You're such a brat." Noah defended himself, but he was unable to stop his own smile. "Permission to hug?"

"Permission granted," Beverly grinned and the two friends shared a short, nice embrace.

"Was this Bobo's idea? You, picking me up," he clarified.

Beverly shook her head. "I volunteered. Babysitting you beats cleanup duty any day."

"Fair enough."

Horace placed a hand on Noah's shoulder, gaining his attention. "Noah, a quick word before you go," Horace said. It wasn't a request.

"Sure, dad." To Beverly, he said, "I'll be right out."

"If you're not out in five, I'm gone," she teased with a wink. Noah rolled his eyes. He knew getting him to Providence HQ was her current mission. There was no way she would leave him behind.

As Beverly opens the front door Noah followed Horace into his home office.

"What's up, dad?"

To be fair, Horace kept his speech short and to the point. "I know you're a man now, but you are also still my son. You may not have a curfew anymore, but I'd like to be kept in the loop."

"I don't know how long I'll be gone. Just getting there is going to take at least forty-five minutes." It was more like thirty if Beverly was the one driving, though Noah didn't think it would be something Horace would appreciate knowing.

"Take all the time you need. I would just like a call if you are planning on being out longer than your old curfew. It would help keep your old man's blood pressure down," he said patting his chest right over his heart for emphasis. Considering his dad already took medicine for his high blood pressure Noah didn't want to cause it from getting any worse.

"Yeah, I will."

Satisfied with Noah's response, Horace pulled Noah into a hug. "That's my boy. I know this may come out wrong, given the circumstances, but have fun today. And tell Rex I said hello."

"I will," Noah repeated though with less confidence than he had when he promised to call if he was going to be late coming home. He wasn't even sure he was going to see Rex. But silently he reminded himself to relay the message if he did.

Horace shooed him out of his office and Noah made his way outside.

Beverly was leaning against the armored vehicle parked on the street. She was leaning into it through the front passenger window talking to the driver. It was someone Noah had never seen before. With a gesture from the driver, Beverly turned back to him. "About time. Get in loser, we're going shopping," she barked, quoting one of his favorite lines from _Mean Girls._

Noah chuckled and did as he was told because that was the correct response to that line. Prying open the side door Noah climbed into the back seat of the armored vehicle. The driver and Noah exchanged a "hey, man," as Beverly got into the front.

Noah looked out the window and saw his dad standing in the doorway. Noah clicked on his seat belt and then sits back as the truck drove off.

The drive was going to be a long one and after chatting a bit with Beverly it was also a quiet one. Although Noah had the clearance to visit Providence HQ that didn't mean he was allowed to know what missions the agents accompanying him have been on. So instead they talk about what they do in their off-time and Noah talked about his time in college. They pass a bakery and Noah asked if they could make a quick stop. After a short conference Beverly and Shawn, as the driver introduced himself, agreed. Noah got a container of really good dark roast coffee and pastries (making sure to pick up Rex his favorite; a bear claw. Noah also made sure to get enough for Beverly and Shawn as a thank you for chauffeuring him.

Just as he was heading to the truck he spotted a convenience store next door. He slowed and called out to Beverly. When he had her attention he pointed to the store and held up a finger asking if he could step inside for a minute. She replied by holding up her hand palm open, indicating that he could have five. After all, it wasn't like there was a time limit to when he could go to HQ and the longer they stayed out the later Beverly and Shawn would receive their next assignment.

The moment he entered the store he shivered as cold air washed over him. Heading to the long wall of the store where the books and magazines were shelved Noah quickly scanned the titles, looking for his gift for Six. After spending a lot of time thinking up gifts he could bring with him when he visited Noah was pretty confident that he nailed it. Instead of getting Six flowers or a 'get well' card Noah bought him the thickest book of Sudoku that Noah could find. Six may have to be stuck in bed for a while as he healed but that didn't mean Six had to let his mind rest too.

Satisfied with his purchases Noah headed back to the transport truck.

Bev and Shawn are overjoyed by the treats and Shawn started to open up more around him. He even let Noah sync up his phone to the truck's radio so he could play music. Which was nice since Noah's nerves started to build, tightening his stomach and making his pulse race as they passed familiar landmarks. He was getting closer to HQ. To Rex.

After they parked in the garage and Beverly handed over his credentials. After passing through security, she led him to the medical ward. Noah followed staring only at the back of Beverly's uniform. Doing his best to regulate his breathing and preparing himself to see the almighty Six lying unconscious in a hospital bed with wires and monitors hooked up to him.

"There we are," Beverly cautioned before she slowed down as they neared one of the last doors in the hallway to a private room. She stepped to the side to allow him access. Before Noah could enter Beverly placed her hand on his shoulder. "When you are ready to go just contact me on this." She instructed and held out her hand, palm up, on it was an earpiece to communicate with other agents. "I have it preset to my channel. Do you remember how to use this or do you need a refresher?"

"No, no, I do. I got it. Thanks, Bev." Noah said and held up his arms. His hands were full what with him carrying his earlier purchases. "Could you?" he asked tilting his head to the side, exposing his ear.

"You bet." Bev placed the comm into his ear. "How does that feel?"

"Like I'm not wearing anything at all." He replied with a wink.

Beverly giggled and lightly punched him in the shoulder. Her expression sobered when her gaze darted to the hospital room once, her eyes going sad but then she looked at him and smiled. "See ya later, Nixon."

"Yep," he promised and watched her leave wondering what that strange moment was. Noah shook his head. He couldn't worry about that now. Shifting the shopping bags in his hands he managed to open the door and entered the room. He realized too late that he should have knocked first, but it was what it was and he had to deal with just walking right into the room without being invited by the patient within. It turned out not to matter since Six was asleep and more than likely wouldn't have been able to hear Noah's weak attempt to knock with hands full of pastries and coffee.

Six was asleep and he had machines hooked up to him, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Noah feared it was going to be. There was a few days growth of facial hair. It was odd seeing him looking so vulnerable. So human. It was a ridiculous thought. Of course Six was human.

"Noah?" a warm voice pulled Noah's attention away from Six to the corner of the room where Dr. Hoilday was seated on a plush visitor's chair.

"Hey, doc," Noah said placing his shopping on top of the small chest of drawers for patient's belongings that sat against the wall.

The first thing Noah noticed was Holiday wore glasses now. They were a nice pair of silver frames that made her brilliant eyes more intense when she looked at him. Even while she looked so sad watching over Six. It was clear she hadn't given one thought to her own well being. Her clothes were wrinkled all over and the makeup around her eyes, usually flawlessly applied, were smudged at the corners. Despite the stress and worry in her features, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.

A genuine smile broke over her face when she saw him. Setting aside the datapad she was reading she stood to greet him.

"Noah! It is so good to see you." She gushed giving him a tight hug. He returned it with gusto.

"And you, though I wish the circumstances were different."

"Me, too. You are going to have to change that and come and visit me soon. I've been working on a few things I think you'll find interesting."

Noah perked up at that. She seemed delighted to talk about something other than the reason they were both there. He admired her courage. He always knew she was strong, but seeing her now his appreciation of the older woman reached a new height. Inviting him to her lab like it was any other day took more strength than Noah thought he could ever muster if he were in her position. He wasn't going to dishonor that strength with an empty promise. He told her he would visit her soon. And he would.

"Good, I can't wait to show you."

"I can't wait to see what you have in store." Noah smiled at her. "I put some donuts and coffee. Can I tempt you?" He motioned towards the bags and then started rummaging through it placing the box of treats and container of coffee with the complimentary paper cups and cream and sugar.

"Yes," she sighed happily and began making herself a cup. "This was just what I needed."

"Sugary junk food and lukewarm coffee?"

"Exactly," she laughed lightly.

"I, uh, also got a book of sudoku," Noah explained, pulling it out of a bag. "For Six. I don't know if he'll want it. He doesn't have to keep it. I just thought he'd need something to keep himself from going nuts as he recovers." Noah was rambling. He knew he was rambling, but he couldn't stop himself from filling the space with mindless talk as he held the book out to her. "I don't have a pen," he added dumbly.

Holiday shook her head. "That's okay, I'm sure I can find him one." She looked down at the book and was quiet for a moment. Noah saw a range of emotion cross her features, sadness and anger were there but when she looked up at him all he could see was gratitude. "This was very sweet of you, Noah. I'm sure he'll love it."

"You're welcome," was all he could think to say. He blushed as he realized she hadn't thanked him and how his response made him sound like an asshole. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine. I know you didn't mean that in a bad way," she interrupted him. "We'll all a little stressed and it comes out in strange ways."

"Right. Thanks."

"Noah." The voice spoke softly and was full of surprise and disbelief and unmistakenly belonged to Rex.

Noah spun around and his heart squeezed at the sight of him. Rex was standing in the doorway. He didn't have his red jacket on, instead, he wore a plain black cotton tee shirt, but he did have on his signature pants. He looked stunning even if he didn't appear pleased to see Noah.

Noah smiled. He couldn't help it. "Rex."

"I can't do this." And before he could say anything more Rex turned around and rushed out of the room.

The sound of Holiday's heavy sigh brought his attention back to her. "Go. We'll chat later."

While he felt bad for leaving her he didn't want her permission to go to waste. "Thanks, Dr. Holiday."

"Rebecca," she softly corrected when they hugged again.

"Thanks, Rebecca," Noah amended releasing her to search for his longtime friend.


End file.
